Shocking study: Microplastics increase the risk of heart attack and stroke

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New research suggests that people with micro- and nanoplastics in their arteries may be at higher risk of heart attack, stroke or death. The results, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, are the first to link small plastic particles to cardiovascular disease.

Particles smaller than 5 millimeters are considered microplastic. Nanoplastics are much smaller; They are so small that they can only be seen with a special microscope. In recent years, the ubiquity of mini plastic parts has become undeniable. They have been found in snow in Antarctica and deep in the Mariana Trench. Micro- and nanoplastics have also been detected in the human body (in human blood, breast milk, urine, placenta, lung and liver tissue).

Microplastic was found in more than half of the patients

Raffaele Marfella, from the Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences at the Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania in Naples, Italy, is the lead author of the new study. Together with his colleagues, he initiated the study examining new risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

They asked themselves “whether plastics in microplastic form or nanoplastics could damage our arteries?” Marfella told NBC News. People can both inhale and swallow plastic particles. Plastic can also enter the body through the skin.

To examine the effects of micro- and nanoplastics, researchers studied a group of patients who were currently scheduled for surgery for a condition called carotid stenosis. Carotid artery stenosis is the narrowing (stenosis) of one of the two internal carotid arteries. It may be caused by vascular calcification or fatty deposits. As a result, the amount of blood flowing to the brain decreases. Scientists studied a total of 257 patients and tracked their health for an average of 34 months after surgery.

They found plastic particles (mostly nanoplastic) in 150 patients. During follow-up, 20 percent of these patients experienced a nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal stroke, or death. Among patients without recognizable plastic particles, the rate was only 7.5 percent. And: Italian researchers looked at patients’ inflammation levels and found that they increased as the plastic content increased.

“The risk of cardiovascular events is almost five times higher.”

Adjusting for age, gender, body mass index and health conditions such as diabetes and abnormal cholesterol, patients with detectable amounts of plastic had “almost five times the risk of cardiovascular events” than other patients, Marfella said.

The study showed that plastic particles are linked to heart attack, stroke or death. Micro and nanoplastics have also not yet been proven to cause cardiovascular events. While it would be unethical to deliberately expose people to potential toxins, this would require another study.

Because the study was conducted on a very specific patient group, it is not possible to generalize the results to the broader population. But it may lead to future studies.

Source : Blick